Quality improver for prepared food product, prepared food product, method for producing prepared food product, and method for improving quality of prepared food product

Abstract

To provide a technology capable of improving quality of a prepared food product.SOLUTION: Provided is a quality improver for a prepared food product, containing a component A consisting of one or more selected from pregelatinized starch, pregelatinized cereal flour, cereal grains contained in a water roux, and cereal flour having a damaged starch content of 15% or more, and a component B consisting of one or more selected from maltose-forming amylase and maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase. The quality improver for a prepared food product can be used for one or more use purposes selected from improving aging resistance, enhancing sweetness, increasing juiciness, enhancing moistness, and improving shape retention.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a quality improver for ready-to-eat foods. More specifically, the present invention relates to a quality improver for ready-to-eat foods that enables the production of ready-to-eat foods with improved quality, ready-to-eat foods, a method for producing ready-to-eat foods, and a method for improving the quality of ready-to-eat foods.

Background Art

[0002] For the purpose of improving the quality of ready-to-eat foods such as croquettes, ravioli, wontons, and hamburgers, various technologies have been proposed. For example, in Patent Document 1, by using particles containing at least one salt of a Group 2 element selected from the group consisting of magnesium salts and calcium salts and at least one moisture transfer suppressing component selected from the group consisting of polysaccharides and peptides, a fried ready-to-eat food that is resistant to changes over time after frying, maintains a crispy texture, has good melt-in-the-mouth properties, and suppresses sticking, and can create a coating has been disclosed.

[0003] Also, in Patent Document 2, a technology for improving the juiciness of a formed ready-to-eat food mainly composed of livestock meat and / or seafood by using an oil and fat composition containing propylene glycol fatty acid ester, monoglycerin fatty acid ester, diglycerin fatty acid ester, and oil and fat has been disclosed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] As described above, various technologies for improving the quality of ready-to-eat foods are being developed, but there is a real need for further technological improvement.

[0006] Therefore, the main objective of this technology is to provide a technology that can improve the quality of ready-to-eat foods.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] In this technology, first, A quality improver for ready-to-eat foods containing the following Component A and Component B is provided. Component A: One or more selected from pregelatinized starch, pregelatinized cereal flour, cereal flours contained in tangzhong, and cereal flours with a damaged starch content of 15% or more Component B: One or more selected from maltose-producing amylase and maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase As the pregelatinized starch used in this technology, crosslinked pregelatinized starch can be used. In the quality improver for ready-to-eat foods according to this technology, the Component A can be contained in an amount of 0.1 to 20 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the ready-to-eat food. In the quality improver for ready-to-eat foods according to this technology, the Component B can be contained in an amount such that the amount used for the ready-to-eat food is 0.05 to 50 units. The quality improver for ready-to-eat foods according to this technology can be used for one or more applications selected from improving aging resistance, enhancing sweetness, improving juiciness, improving tenderness, and improving shape retention.

[0008] Next, in this technology, a ready-to-eat food using the quality improver for ready-to-eat foods according to this technology is provided. The ready-to-eat food according to this technology can be frozen.

[0009] Furthermore, in this technology, a method for manufacturing a ready-to-eat food and a method for improving the quality of a ready-to-eat food, including the step of adding the above-mentioned Component A and Component B, are provided.

[0010] Here, definitions of technical terms used in this technology are provided. In the present technology, the term "cereal flours" is a concept that includes cereal flours, processed cereal flours (such as pregelatinized cereal flours, etc.), starches, and processed starches (such as pregelatinized starches, etc.).

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments for carrying out the present technology will be described. Note that the embodiments described below show an example of typical embodiments of the present technology, and the scope of the present technology is not construed narrowly thereby.

[0012] <Quality improver for ready-to-eat vegetable foods> The quality improver for ready-to-eat vegetable foods according to the present technology contains component A and component B. Component A: One or more selected from pregelatinized starch, pregelatinized cereal flour, cereal flours contained in tangzhong, and cereal flours with a damaged starch content of 15% or more Component B: One or more selected from maltose-forming amylase and maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase

[0013] The quality improver for ready-to-eat vegetable foods according to the present technology can be used for one or more uses selected from improving aging resistance, enhancing sweetness, improving juiciness, improving moistness, and improving shape retention.

[0014] For example, many composite ready-to-eat vegetable foods using ready-to-eat vegetable foods in bakery products such as bread are on the market. While there are many technologies regarding the aging resistance of bakery products such as bread, ready-to-eat vegetable foods such as croquettes, ravioli, wontons, and hamburgers are often eaten while still warm just after cooking or after reheating, and technologies for preventing aging during storage are not well known. Therefore, in composite ready-to-eat vegetable foods, it is necessary to set the expiration date and shelf life according to the ready-to-eat vegetable foods with low aging resistance, which leads to problems such as food loss. In contrast, the quality improver for ready-to-eat vegetable foods according to the present technology can improve the aging resistance of ready-to-eat vegetable foods, thereby realizing an extension of the expiration date and shelf life of ready-to-eat vegetable foods and contributing to a sustainable society.

[0015] In addition to preventing the aging of ready-to-eat vegetable foods, the quality improver for ready-to-eat vegetable foods according to the present technology can also exert the effects of enhancing the sweetness of ready-to-eat vegetable foods, improving the juiciness of ready-to-eat vegetable foods, improving the tenderness of ready-to-eat vegetable foods, and improving the shape retention of ready-to-eat vegetable foods.

[0016] In addition to the component A and the component B, various components that can be used for ready-to-eat vegetable foods can also be used in the quality improver for ready-to-eat vegetable foods according to the present technology. Hereinafter, each component will be described in detail.

[0017] (1) Component A As the component A used in the present technology, one or a combination of two or more selected from pregelatinized starch, pregelatinized cereal flour, cereal flours contained in a sponge dough, and cereal flours with a damaged starch content of 15% or more can be used.

[0018] (1-1) Pregelatinized starch Pregelatinized starch is starch or modified starch that has been pregelatinized. The method of pregelatinization is not particularly limited. For example, it can be obtained by rapidly dehydrating and drying starch or modified starch that has been gelatinized by heating with water using a drum dryer, a spray dryer, or the like. After pregelatinization, processing such as crosslinking, oxidation, or esterification may be performed. Pregelatinized starch is characterized by swelling in cold water.

[0019] The pregelatinized starch used in the quality improver for ready-to-eat vegetable foods according to the present technology is preferably pregelatinized modified starch, and more preferably pregelatinized crosslinked starch that has been crosslinked. By using pregelatinized crosslinked starch, the stickiness of the materials during the production of ready-to-eat vegetable foods can be more efficiently suppressed.

[0020] The raw starch is not particularly limited as long as it is starch extracted from plants and processed starch obtained by subjecting these to physical and chemical processing. For example, starches such as potato starch, tapioca starch, wheat starch, corn starch, sweet potato starch, sago starch, rice starch, etc., waxy varieties and high amylose varieties of these starches, or processed starches obtained by subjecting these starches to physical and chemical processing alone or in combination of a plurality thereof can be mentioned. As the processed starch, any type of processed starch may be used. For example, enzyme-treated starch; oxidized starch; acid-treated starch; esterified starches such as acetic acid starch (acetylated starch); phosphorylated starch; etherified starches such as hydroxypropylated starch; cross-linked starches such as phosphate cross-linked starch, adipic acid cross-linked starch; processed starches obtained by combining a plurality of processes such as acetylated adipic acid cross-linked starch, acetylated phosphate cross-linked starch, acetylated oxidized starch, hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch, phosphate monoesterified phosphate cross-linked starch, etc. can be mentioned. Those obtained by gelatinizing these raw starches by a conventional method can be used alone or in combination of a plurality. In the present technology, it is preferable to use gelatinized processed starch having phosphate cross-linking, and it is particularly preferable to use gelatinized processed starch subjected to hydroxypropylation. And, in the present technology, the gelatinized starch can be used in any state such as powder form, paste form, etc.

[0021] The content of the gelatinized starch used in the quality improver for ready-to-eat vegetable foods according to the present technology can be freely set as long as the effects of the present technology are not impaired. When the ready-to-eat vegetable food is 100 parts by mass (when the ready-to-eat vegetable food is a composite food composed of the inner part (seed) and the coat or skin, etc., the inner part (seed) is 100 parts by mass, the same applies hereinafter), the lower limit of the content of the gelatinized starch is preferably 0.1 part by mass or more, more preferably 0.3 part by mass or more, and still more preferably 0.5 part by mass or more. By setting the lower limit of the content of the gelatinized starch within this range, the aging resistance of the ready-to-eat vegetable food can be improved. Also, it is possible to improve the shape retention and workability during the production of the ready-to-eat vegetable food, and to produce a ready-to-eat vegetable food with a moist texture, juicy feeling, good shape, and enhanced sweetness. Furthermore, it is also possible to improve the freezing resistance of the ready-to-eat vegetable food.

[0022] Also, when the amount of the prepared vegetable food is 100 parts by mass, the upper limit of the content of the pregelatinized starch is preferably 10.0 parts by mass or less, more preferably 8.0 parts by mass or less, and even more preferably 5.0 parts by mass or less. By setting the upper limit of the content of the pregelatinized starch within this range, the shape retention and workability during the production of the prepared vegetable food can be improved.

[0023] (1-2) Pregelatinized cereal flour The pregelatinized cereal flour is obtained by subjecting cereal flour to a gelatinization treatment. The method of the gelatinization treatment of the cereal flour is not particularly limited as long as it can gelatinize the starch in the cereal flour. Examples thereof include a method of heat-treating the cereal flour and a method of heat-pressure treating it.

[0024] As long as the effects and functions of the present technology are not impaired, the type of cereal flour to be gelatinized can be selected from one or more cereal flours that can be used in the prepared vegetable food. For example, wheat flour, rye flour, triticale flour, rice flour, barley flour, corn flour, soybean flour, oat flour, buckwheat flour, millet flour, foxtail millet flour, sesame flour, quinoa flour, etc. can be mentioned. Among these, in the present technology, it is particularly preferable to use pregelatinized wheat flour.

[0025] The content of the pregelatinized cereal flour used in the quality improver for the prepared vegetable food according to the present technology can be freely set as long as the effects of the present technology are not impaired. When the amount of the prepared vegetable food is 100 parts by mass, the lower limit of the content of the pregelatinized cereal flour is preferably 0.1 part by mass or more, more preferably 0.3 part by mass or more, and even more preferably 0.5 part by mass or more. By setting the lower limit of the content of the pregelatinized cereal flour within this range, the anti-aging property of the prepared vegetable food can be improved. In addition, it is possible to improve the shape retention and workability during the production of the prepared vegetable food, and to produce a prepared vegetable food with a moist texture, juicy feeling, good shape, and enhanced sweetness. Furthermore, it is also possible to improve the freezing resistance of the prepared vegetable food.

[0026] Also, when the total vegetable food is 100 parts by mass, the upper limit of the content of the pregelatinized flour is preferably 10.0 parts by mass or less, more preferably 8.0 parts by mass or less, and even more preferably 5.0 parts by mass or less. By setting the upper limit of the content of the pregelatinized flour within this range, the shape retention and workability during the production of the total vegetable food can be improved.

[0027] (1-3) Flours contained in the tangzhong The tangzhong used in the present technology is an intermediate dough produced in the process of the tangzhong production method (tang kneading method), which is widely known as a method for producing total vegetable foods, and in which part or all of the starch is pregelatinized. The tangzhong production method is a method for producing a total vegetable food by kneading flours such as wheat flour used as one of the raw materials of the total vegetable food at a desired temperature in the presence of water to produce a tangzhong (intermediate dough), and then kneading, fermenting, heating, etc. the obtained tangzhong together with the remaining materials. The tangzhong may be in the form of dough or batter.

[0028] For the preparation of the tangzhong, a conventionally known method can be used. For example, there are a method of adding a predetermined amount of water to the raw materials containing flours and kneading under high-temperature conditions, a method of adding a predetermined amount of water to the raw materials containing flours and subjecting the resulting mixture to a pressure heat treatment, and the like. In the present technology, "kneading under high-temperature conditions" means kneading under conditions where the tangzhong reaches a high temperature at least once during and / or after kneading. Examples of the temperature conditions (high-temperature conditions) to be reached include temperature conditions equal to or higher than the gelatinization start temperature of the starch in the flours. Examples of the method of kneading under high-temperature conditions include a method of kneading the mixture of the raw materials using warm to hot water as the water. The temperature of the warm to hot water is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 70 to 100°C, preferably 80 to 100°C. Examples of the method of subjecting the mixture to a pressure heat treatment include a method of retorting.

[0029] The ratio of water used for the preparation of the tangzhong, in terms of the water content in 100% by mass of the prepared tangzhong, is, for example, 30 to 80% by mass, preferably 35 to 70% by mass, and more preferably 40 to 70% by mass.

[0030] The types of flours that can be used when preparing the tangzhong are the same as the starches that can be used for the pregelatinized starch and the flours that can be used for the pregelatinized flour, so the description is omitted here.

[0031] The tangzhong may contain, in addition to the flours, some or all of the other components used in prepared foods, as long as the effects and functions of the present technology are not impaired.

[0032] The content of the tangzhong used in the quality improver for prepared foods according to the present technology can be freely set as long as the effects of the present technology are not impaired. When the prepared food is 100 parts by mass, it is preferably contained such that the lower limit of the content of the flours used for the tangzhong is 0.5 part by mass or more, more preferably 1.0 part by mass or more, and still more preferably 1.2 part by mass or more. By setting the lower limit of the content of the tangzhong within this range, the aging resistance of the prepared food can be improved. In addition, it is possible to improve the shape retention and workability during the production of the prepared food, and to produce a prepared food with a moist texture, juicy feeling, good shape, and enhanced sweetness. Furthermore, it is also possible to improve the freezing resistance of the prepared food.

[0033] Also, when the prepared food is 100 parts by mass, it is preferably contained such that the upper limit of the content of the flours used for the tangzhong is 20.0 parts by mass or less, more preferably 10.0 parts by mass or less, and still more preferably 5.0 parts by mass or less. By setting the upper limit of the content of the tangzhong within this range, the shape retention and workability during the production of the prepared food can be improved.

[0034] (1-4) Flours with a damaged starch amount of 15% or more In the present technology, the "amount of damaged starch (DS) (% by mass)" refers to the amount of damaged starch in the total amount of the flours. Also, "damaged starch" refers to starch that has been mechanically damaged due to pressure, impact, etc. when the grains are pulverized.

[0035] The amount of damaged starch (% by mass) can be measured according to AACC Method 76-31. Specifically, only the damaged starch contained in the flours is decomposed into maltose and limit dextrin by mold-derived α-amylase, and then further decomposed into glucose by amyloglucosidase, and the generated glucose is quantified for measurement. It can also be measured using a commercially available kit (for example, Starch Damage Assay Kit (manufactured by Megazyme)).

[0036] The types of flours that can be used when preparing flours with a damaged starch content of 15% or more are the same as the starches that can be used for the gelatinized starch and the flours that can be used for the gelatinized flours, so the description is omitted here. Among these, in this technology, it is particularly preferable to use rice flour with a damaged starch content of 15% or more.

[0037] The flours with a damaged starch content of 15% or more used in this technology are manufactured, for example, by dry pulverizing (preferably, friction pulverization, jet pulverization, or impact pulverization) flour raw materials such as raw rice and wheat. Examples of the apparatus for pulverization include a roll pulverization apparatus (such as a roll mill), a jet pulverization apparatus (such as a cyclone mill or a jet mill), an impact pulverization apparatus (such as a hammer mill or a pin mill), a friction pulverization apparatus (such as a mortar pulverization or a roller mill), a shear pulverization apparatus (such as a cutter mill), a media type (such as a ball mill or a bead mill), etc. After pulverization, the particle size and particle size distribution of the flours may be adjusted by a desired sieve or classification.

[0038] The content of cereal flours with a damaged starch content of 15% or more used in the quality improver for ready-to-eat vegetable foods according to the present technology can be freely set as long as the effects of the present technology are not impaired. When the ready-to-eat vegetable food is 100 parts by mass, the lower limit of the content of cereal flours with a damaged starch content of 15% or more is preferably 0.1 part by mass or more, more preferably 0.3 part by mass or more, and still more preferably 0.5 part by mass or more. By setting the lower limit of the content of cereal flours with a damaged starch content of 15% or more within this range, the aging resistance of the ready-to-eat vegetable food can be improved. In addition, it is possible to improve the shape retention and workability during the production of the ready-to-eat vegetable food, and to produce a ready-to-eat vegetable food with a moist texture, juicy feeling, good shape, and enhanced sweetness. Furthermore, it is also possible to improve the freezing resistance of the ready-to-eat vegetable food.

[0039] Also, when the ready-to-eat vegetable food is 100 parts by mass, the upper limit of the content of cereal flours with a damaged starch content of 15% or more is preferably 10.0 parts by mass or less, more preferably 8.0 parts by mass or less, and still more preferably 5.0 parts by mass or less. By setting the upper limit of the content of cereal flours with a damaged starch content of 15% or more within this range, the shape retention and workability during the production of the ready-to-eat vegetable food can be improved.

[0040] (2) Component B As component B used in the present technology, one or more selected from maltose-forming amylase and maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase can be freely combined and used. In the present technology, "maltooligosaccharide" refers to a sugar in which 3 to 10 or more glucose molecules are glycosidically bonded. Examples of maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase that can be used in the present technology include maltotriose-forming α-amylase, maltotetraose-forming α-amylase, maltopentaose-forming α-amylase, maltohexaose-forming α-amylase, maltopentaose-forming α-amylase, etc., and two or more of these can be used in combination.

[0041] The content of component B in the quality improver for prepared vegetable foods according to the present technology can be freely set as long as the effects of the present technology are not impaired. However, the lower limit of the amount used in the final product is preferably 0.025 units or more, more preferably 0.03 units or more, still more preferably 0.05 units or more, and particularly preferably 1 unit or more. By including component B so that the lower limit of the amount used in the final product falls within this range, the aging resistance of prepared vegetable foods can be improved. In addition, it is possible to improve the shape retention and workability during the production of prepared vegetable foods, and to produce prepared vegetable foods with a moist texture, juicy feeling, good shape, and enhanced sweetness. Furthermore, it is also possible to improve the freezing resistance of prepared vegetable foods.

[0042] The upper limit of the content of component B in the quality improver for prepared vegetable foods according to the present technology can be freely set as long as the effects of the present technology are not impaired. However, the upper limit of the amount used in the final product is preferably 50 units or less, more preferably 30 units or less, and still more preferably 20 units or less. By including component B so that the upper limit of the amount used in the final product falls within this range, the shape retention and workability during the production of prepared vegetable foods can be improved. In addition, it can also contribute to cost reduction.

[0043] Incidentally, the above "unit" of Component B represents the amount of enzyme produced when the enzyme acts on the substrate, that is, it represents the enzyme activity. The enzyme activity of maltotetraose-producing α-amylase is determined by using p-nitrophenyl-α-D-maltoheptaoside as the substrate and reacting the enzyme to be used under its optimal conditions (for example, 25°C, pH 5.6) together with amyloglucosidase and α-glucosidase. It can be calculated from the amount of enzyme that decomposes 0.0351 mmol of p-nitrophenyl-α-D-maltoheptaoside per minute, and this is defined as "1 unit". The decomposition of p-nitrophenyl-α-D-maltoheptaoside can be quantified and evaluated by developing the color of p-nitrophenol produced in the above reaction with an alkaline solution and measuring the absorbance at 410 nm. The enzyme activity of other maltooligosaccharide-producing α-amylases is measured based on the method where the enzyme acts on maltooligosaccharide as the substrate and the amount of enzyme that produces 1 μmol of maltooligosaccharide per minute is defined as "1 unit". The measurement of maltooligosaccharide can be carried out with reference to the Second Edition of the Quantitative Method for Reducing Sugars (written by Sakuzo Fukui, published by the Academic Publishing Center).

[0044] (3) Others The quality improver for ready-to-eat vegetable foods according to the present technology may be composed only of these components as long as it contains the aforementioned (1) Component A and (2) Component B, or one or more other components can be freely selected and contained. As other components, for example, components such as excipients, pH adjusters, colorants, flavoring agents, disintegrants, lubricants, stabilizers, and emulsifiers that are usually used in formulation can be used. Furthermore, it is also possible to use in combination components having known or future-discovered functions as appropriate according to the purpose. When Component A is the cereal flour contained in the tangzhong, Component B may be added during the preparation of the tangzhong.

[0045] The quality improver for ready-to-eat vegetable foods according to the present technology can adopt a form of being distributed as a ready-to-eat vegetable food mix, a base for ready-to-eat vegetable foods, etc. obtained by mixing at least the aforementioned (1) Component A, (2) Component B, and part or all of the said materials and additives.

[0046] <Ready-to-eat vegetable food> The prepared vegetable food according to the present technology is characterized by using the above-described quality improver for prepared vegetable foods. Since the prepared vegetable food according to the present technology uses the above-described quality improver for prepared vegetable foods, it has high aging resistance. Further, the prepared vegetable food according to the present technology has a moist texture, a juicy feeling, a good sweetness, and furthermore, a good shape.

[0047] By using the quality improver for prepared vegetable foods according to the present technology, the quality of any prepared vegetable food can be improved. The quality improver for prepared vegetable foods according to the present technology is not a so-called staple food such as breads, cooked rice, noodles, etc., but can be suitably used for prepared vegetable foods eaten as side dishes or main dishes. Specifically, it can be suitably used for prepared vegetable foods using as food materials tubers such as sweet potatoes, potatoes, taro, and yams; root vegetables such as carrots, turnips, and daikon radishes; beans such as soybeans, adzuki beans, and edamame; fruit vegetables such as pumpkins and tomatoes; leafy and stem vegetables such as Chinese cabbages, cabbages, leeks, onions, pak choi, butterbur, asparagus, cauliflowers, and broccoli; seeds and nuts such as chestnuts and almonds; fruits such as bananas and avocados; meats such as beef, pork, and chicken; and seafood such as fish, crustaceans, and shellfish.

[0048] Further, the quality improver for prepared vegetable foods according to the present technology can be suitably used for improving the quality of prepared vegetable foods produced through a process of mixing and processing the finely chopped food materials. Specific examples of the prepared vegetable food according to the present technology include various croquettes (potato croquettes, pumpkin croquettes, sweet potato croquettes, taro croquettes, red yam croquettes, gratin croquettes, cream croquettes, etc.), various medium-sized prepared vegetable dishes (ravioli, gyoza, wantan, Chinese dumplings, shumai, xiaolongbao, Chinese buns, spring rolls, etc.), minced prepared vegetable dishes (meat hamburgers, seafood hamburgers, plant-based hamburgers, and their fried prepared vegetable dishes (e.g., cutlet)), various salad prepared vegetable dishes (potato salad, pumpkin salad, etc.).

[0049] In addition to the above-described characteristics, the prepared vegetable food according to the present technology also has freezing resistance, so it is possible to freeze and store the manufactured prepared vegetable food or to freeze and store it in the state of semi-processed prepared vegetable food such as prepared vegetable food before heat cooking.

[0050] <Method for manufacturing ready-to-eat food, method for improving quality of ready-to-eat food> The method for manufacturing ready-to-eat food and the method for improving the quality of ready-to-eat food according to the present technology are methods including the step of adding (1) component A and (2) component B described above. Component A and component B can be added as quality improvers as described above, but each component can also be added individually.

[0051] The method of adding each component is not particularly limited and can be added in any manufacturing process of ready-to-eat food. For example, when preparing ready-to-eat food, each component can be added together or individually instead of or together with a part of the conventionally blended manufacturing raw materials.

[0052] Note that the details of each component are the same as those of the quality improver for ready-to-eat food products according to the present technology described above, so the description is omitted here.

Example

[0053] Hereinafter, the present technology will be described in more detail based on examples. Note that the examples described below show an example of a typical example of the present technology, and the scope of the present technology is not construed narrowly thereby.

[0054] Unless otherwise specified, each material used in this example is as follows. Pre-gelatinized starch 1: Cross-linked pre-gelatinized starch (raw material: potato) Pre-gelatinized starch 2: Pre-gelatinized starch (raw material: potato) Pre-gelatinized starch 3: Cross-linked pre-gelatinized starch (raw material: tapioca) Pre-gelatinized cereal flour: Pre-gelatinized wheat flour Cereal flour with damaged starch content of 15% or more: Rice flour with damaged starch content of 20% Maltose-producing amylase: Novamil (registered trademark) 10000BG (Novozymes Japan Co., Ltd.) Maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase 1: Maltotriose-producing amylase (manufactured by Amano Enzyme Inc., "AMT1.2L") Maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase 2: Maltotetraose-producing amylase ("POWERFRESH SPECIAL 8100" manufactured by Danisco Japan Co., Ltd.) Hemicellulase: Pentopan 500BG (Novozymes Japan Co., Ltd.)

[0055] <Experimental Example 1> In Experimental Example 1, when producing croquettes as an example of cooked vegetables, the compounding effects of various components were examined.

[0056] (1) Production of croquettes Materials other than Component A and Component B described in Table 1 below were mixed. When the temperature of the mixture reached 50°C or lower, Component A and Component B were added and further mixed to prepare the croquette filling. The prepared filling was divided into 80 g portions, rounded, and formed into oval shapes. The formed products were dipped in liquid eggs, coated with breadcrumbs on the surface, and then frozen at -20°C. The frozen croquettes were deep-fried at 180°C for 8 minutes to produce croquettes.

[0057] (2) Evaluation Regarding the aging of the produced croquettes after 3 days of storage, 10 professional panelists evaluated them through discussion based on the following evaluation criteria. Also, regarding the shape and sweetness of the croquettes produced above, 10 professional panelists evaluated them through discussion based on the following evaluation criteria.

[0058] [Aging] 5: Very moist texture, good 4: Moist texture, good 3: Slightly moist texture, no feeling of dryness, good 2: Feeling of dryness, slightly poor 1: Strong feeling of dryness, poor

[0059] [Shape] 5: The shape during forming is maintained, no crushing or leakage of the filling, very good 4: The shape during forming is almost maintained, little crushing or leakage of the filling, good 3: The shape during forming is almost maintained, with little crushing or leakage of the internal tooling, and it is slightly good. 2: The shape during forming is slightly deformed, with crushing and leakage of the internal tooling, and it is slightly defective. 1: The shape during forming is deformed, with a lot of crushing and leakage of the internal tooling, and it is defective.

[0060] [Sweetness] 5: Strongly feel the sweetness, and it is good. 4: Slightly strongly feel the sweetness, and it is good. 3: Slightly feel the sweetness, and it is slightly good. 2: Hardly feel the sweetness, and it is slightly defective. 1: Do not feel the sweetness, and it is defective.

[0061] (3) Results The results are shown in Table 1 below.

[0062]

Table 1

[0063] (4) Considerations As shown in Table 1, in Reference Example 1 where neither Component A nor Component B was used, although the shape was within the allowable range, the evaluations of the moistness, sweetness, and aging after 3 days of storage were inferior. In Comparative Examples 1 to 3 where Component B was used but Component A was not, although the evaluations of the moistness and aging were improved, the evaluations of the shape and sweetness were defective. In Comparative Example 4 where Component A was used but hemicellulase, an enzyme other than Component B, was used, although the shape was within the allowable range, the evaluations of the moistness, sweetness, and aging after 3 days of storage were defective. Regarding Comparative Example 5 where Component A was used but α-amylase, an enzyme other than Component B, was used, the shape was extremely defective, it ruptured during frying, and the evaluations of aging and sweetness were impossible.

[0064] On the other hand, in Examples 1 to 13 where Component A and Component B were used, all evaluations were good.

[0065] <Experimental Example 2> In Experimental Example 2, when manufacturing ravioli as an example of a vegetable food, the compounding effects of various components were examined.

[0066] (1) Manufacture of ravioli After mixing the materials other than Component A and Component B described in Table 2 below, Component A and Component B were added and further mixed to prepare the ravioli dough. 4 g of the prepared dough was sandwiched between two noodle sheets (about 2 g / sheet) to prepare ravioli. The prepared ravioli was steamed at 98°C for 3 minutes and then frozen at -20°C to produce frozen ravioli.

[0067] (2) Evaluation The juicy feeling, shape, and sweetness of the filling after cooking the frozen ravioli manufactured above in boiling water for 3 minutes were evaluated. The juicy feeling was evaluated based on the following evaluation criteria, and the shape and sweetness were evaluated based on the evaluation criteria described in Experimental Example 1 above, and evaluated by the same method as in Experimental Example 1.

[0068] [Juicy feeling] 5: The juicy feeling is very strong and good 4: The juicy feeling is slightly strong and good 3: Slightly feel the juicy feeling and slightly good 2: Hardly feel the juicy feeling, there is a dry feeling, and slightly poor 1: Do not feel the juicy feeling, there is a strong dry feeling, and poor

[0069] (3) Results The results are shown in Table 2 below.

[0070]

Table 2

[0071] (4) Consideration As shown in Table 2, in Reference Example 2 where neither Component A nor Component B was used, although the shape was good, the evaluations of the juicy feeling and sweetness were inferior. In Comparative Examples 6 to 8 where Component B was used but Component A was not used, although the evaluations of the moist feeling and shape were within the acceptable range, the evaluation of sweetness was poor.

[0072] On the other hand, for Examples 14 to 21 using Component A and Component B, all evaluations were good.

[0073] <Experimental Example 3> In Experimental Example 3, when manufacturing hamburgers as an example of a vegetable food, the compounding effects of various components were examined.

[0074] (1) Manufacture of hamburgers After mixing the materials other than Component A and Component B described in Table 3 below, Component A and Component B were added and further mixed to prepare the hamburger base. The prepared base was divided into 60 g portions, rounded, and formed into oval shapes. The formed products were baked for 10 minutes to manufacture hamburgers.

[0075] (2) Evaluation The aging, shape, and sweetness of the hamburgers manufactured above were evaluated in the same manner as in Experimental Example 1.

[0076] (3) Results The results are shown in Table 3 below.

[0077]

Table 3

[0078] (4) Consideration As shown in Table 3, in Reference Example 3 where neither Component A nor Component B was used, although the shape was within the acceptable range, the evaluations of moistness, sweetness, and aging after 3-day storage were inferior. In Comparative Examples 9 to 11 where Component B was used but Component A was not, the evaluations of moistness, shape, and aging were within the acceptable range, but the evaluation of sweetness was poor.

[0079] On the other hand, for Examples 22 to 24 using Component A and Component B, all evaluations were good.

Claims

1. A quality improver for prepared vegetable foods, containing the following Component A and Component B. Component A: One or more selected from pregelatinized starch, pregelatinized cereal flour, cereal flours contained in a poolish, and cereal flours with a damaged starch content of 15% or more Component B: One or more selected from maltose-producing amylase and maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase

2. The quality improver for prepared vegetable foods according to Claim 1, wherein the pregelatinized starch is a cross-linked pregelatinized starch.

3. The quality improver for prepared vegetable foods according to Claim 1, wherein Component A is contained in an amount of 0.1 to 20 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the prepared vegetable food.

4. The quality improver for prepared vegetable foods according to Claim 1, wherein Component B is contained in such an amount that the usage amount for the prepared vegetable food is 0.05 to 50 units.

5. The quality improver for prepared vegetable foods according to Claim 1, which is used for one or more purposes selected from improving aging resistance, enhancing sweetness, improving juiciness, improving tenderness, and improving shape retention.

6. A prepared vegetable food using the quality improver for prepared vegetable foods according to any one of Claims 1 to 5.

7. The prepared vegetable food according to Claim 6, which is frozen.

8. A method for manufacturing a prepared vegetable food, including the step of adding the following Component A and Component B. Component A: One or more selected from pregelatinized starch, pregelatinized cereal flour, cereal flours contained in a poolish, and cereal flours with a damaged starch content of 15% or more Component B: One or more selected from maltose-producing amylase and maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase

9. A method for improving the quality of a prepared vegetable food, including the step of adding the following Component A and Component B. Component A: One or more selected from pregelatinized starch, pregelatinized cereal flour, cereal flours contained in a poolish, and cereal flours with a damaged starch content of 15% or more Component B: One or more selected from maltose-producing amylase and maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase

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